Water-harvesting has become a key tool for countering shortages of water, writes YOGESH CHANDRA
The United Nations estimates that water usage is growing at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century. In India, this has led to a decline in the per capita availability of fresh water from 3,000 cubic metres to 1,123 cubic metres in the past five decades. This is well below the global average of 6,000 cubic metres. According to a 2015 UN report, around 748 million Indians do not have access to an improved drinking water source. Also, agriculture, which accounts for three-fourth of the water usage, uses it inefficiently.
India must make a conscious effort to use water judiciously. The National Water Policy calls for an integrated approach to water management. This is crucial for poverty reduction and sustainable economic development. Waste water treatment, recharging of aquifers, and enhancement of storage facilities for sustainable water conservation needs to be prioritised, and so do the expansion of desalination units, use of recycled water and decentralisation of water infrastructure.
One of the most prominent techniques to conserve water is to promote renewable energies by granting subsidies on wind and solar equipment. Thermal power plants consume large quantities of water for power generation. In Cyprus, for instance, subsidies have led to transformation of farmers' attitude towards irrigation techniques.
At Coca Cola India, water finds an important place towards its sustainability approach. Through its Foundation Anandana several initiatives are planned and successfully executed to replenish water sources that make water available across different parts of the country. One such landmark initiative is the watershed project in Dungarpur, Rajasthan. Dungarpur had been identified as one of the most backward district in terms of development by the Planning Commission of India. Anandana, in collaboration with the Jan Shiksha Evam Vikas Sansthan, identified 10 villages of Simalwara block of Dungarpur district for an integrated watershed development project. So far, nine check dams and five farm ponds have been constructed along with refurbishing of four old ponds to create a considerably high storage capacity of water.
The project, spread across 2850 hectares, has directly and indirectly benefitted over 9,000 people in 11 villages. In Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, Anandana has partnered with International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, watershed committees and villagers to develop nearly 40,000 m3 of storage capacity watershed areas by constructing eight water-harvesting structures.
(The writer is CEO, Anandana, Coca-Cola India Foundation)